Shuttle



April 6, 1937. R. H. BOARDMAN SHUTTLE Filed March 18, 1936 Inner: ?02-. MW H- BMW 1, m

Patented Apr. 6, 1937 PATENT OFFE'QE SHUTTLE Robert H. Boardman,

Lawrence, Mass, assignor to Pacific Mills, Lawrence, Mass.,, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 18, 1936; Seriat No; 69,505

17 Claims.

This invention relates to shuttles for looms and has particular reference to a construction for controlling the delivery of thread from the shuttle during weaving. The invention is particularly valuable for weaving rayon although it is quite satisfactory for weaving other threads.

In weaving, the filler strands or threads of the fabric are laid across the warp strands by a shuttle which contains the filling thread on a filling carrier or bobbin, the shuttle being thrown rapidly and repeatedly in opposite directions across the warp strands. The filling thread is usually wound on the bobbin in such manner that the windings are laid in conical layers towards the end of the bobbin. As the filling is withdrawn from the bobbin the conical end delivery portion of the wound mass of filling thread progressively gets nearer the butt of the bobbin. When the shuttle is arrested at the end of' its flight the filling is likely to over-run and become loose on the bobbin. Furthermore, during the flight of the shuttle several convolutions of filling thread may be drawn from the bobbin at the same time. As a consequence the thread may become snarled or kinked. Many plans for controlling the delivery of thread have been proposed and may be successful enough for ordinary Weaving but in the weaving of rayon the methodsheretofore proposed are not entirely satisfactory and defects in the weaving caused by lack of proper control of the delivery of the filling thread are common.

Hence an object of the present invention is the provision of means for controlling the delivcry of. the filling thread which will be particularly eiie'ctivefor rayon.

A further object of the invention is thread control means which is equally efiective to control the removal of thread from a nearly empty bobbin as from a full bobbin.

Another object of the invention is the provision of thread control means the operation of which is responsive to the flight of the shuttle.

A yet further object of the invention is the. provision of pneumatic means to press against the filling in the shuttle, said means receiving air for its operation by the speed of movement of the shuttle.

My invention, in brief, comprises a flexible rubber bag which is attached to the inner face of the filiing chamber of the shuttle and extends substantially the entire length of the bobbin. The bag is open to receive air forced into it by movements of the shuttle in both of its opposite directions so as to inflate the bag to. the extent upon the control of the thread delivery from shuttles.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bobbin incorporating the present invention. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the bobbin and i1- lustrating particularly the air entrance openings into the thread control bag.

Fig. 3' is a sectional plan view of" the bobbin. Fig. 4: is a section taken along line i -4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5" is a section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the bag of. 2

Figs. 1 through 4.

Fig; 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating a modified form of bag.

The shuttle l0 incorporating the present invention isprovided with the usual longitudinally extended bobbin compartment 12 which is open at the top and bottom face of the shuttle. The shuttle also has a suitable thread guide M at its leading or head end and at its other end is provided with suitable bobbin engaging spring jaws. l6. filling thread carrier or bobbin I8 is located inthe bobbin chamber and has its butt end gripped removably between the jaws H5. The bobbin extends longitudinally of the shuttle and has a filling thread 22 wound thereon in layers so that the filling thread unwinds first from the free or forward end of the bobbin and thence progressively down the bobbin toward the butt.

In accordance with the present invention the shuttle is provided with improved means for controlling the removal of' thread from the bobbin. Said means includes an air bag 24 which is located in the filling chamber between the bobbin conical.

and the side 23 of the shuttle opposite the side 4 25 having the feeler opening 25. The bag extends substantially the entire usable length of filling on the bobbin.

The bag shown in Figs. 1 and 3 through 6 comprises a thin strip 28 of flexible sheet material, as thin sheet rubber, which also is elastic and stretchable, having its long edges 30, see Figs. 4 and 5, inturned and cemented or otherwise affixed in an air tight manner to the upper and lower inner face portions of the shuttle wall 23..

Theend portions 32 of the strip are reflexed inwardly and are directed toward each other and lie against the inner face of the wall 23 and are secured as cemented in an air tight manner to said wall adjacent the bends of the strip. The end portions are otherwise free from attachment to the shuttle but lie against the inner face of the wall 23 thereof. The bag thus formed is sealed in a substantially air tight manner to the shuttle wall. The shuttle wall 23 is provided with a forward air passage 34, preferably rectangular in cross section, which is inclined inwardly and toward the rear of the shuttle from the entrance of the passage. The shuttle forwardly of the passage is provided with a groove 35 which extends longitudinally of the shuttle in the outer face of the wall 23 thereof and opens into the conical forward end of the shuttle. Said groove opens at its rear end to the entrance of the passage 34. The shuttle at its other end also is provided with a similar passage 38 which is inclined forwardly and inwardly of the shuttle from its opening in the outer face of the side wall 23. A groove 48 similar to the groove 36 extends longitudinally in the outer face of the wall 23 of the shuttle to the conical rear end thereof and opens at its forward end to the entrance of the slot 38. The slots 34 and 38 open to the interior of the bag 24.

The arrangement of the slot 34 and groove 36 is such that when the shuttle is traveling forwardly or toward the right, Fig. 3 air is scooped into the slot 34 and thence into the bag 24. The arrangement of the slot 38 and groove 48 is such that when the shuttle is traveling in the opposite direction or towards the left, Fig. 3, air is caused to flow into the interior of the bag through the slot 38. Thus at each flight of the shuttle the bag receives air; and a sufficient amount of air to cause the flexible wall of the bag to press against the filling on the bobbin with sufiicient pressure to hold the filling from being withdrawn in an improper manner.

The bag is large enough and flexible enough so that the air in the bag presses the bag against the filling on the bobbin with substantially the same pressure for an empty bobbin as for a full bobbin. Pressure on the filling is uniform and is continuous throughout the length of filling on the bobbin.

The inturned end portions 32 of the strip 28 comprising the bag overlie the inner ends of the air entrance slots 34 and 38 and act as valves therefor, an end portion moving away from its associated slot to permit air to pass into the bag and the air pressure in the bag acting to hold the other end portion over the inner end of its associated slot to prevent the air from escaping therefrom. The valve action does not need to be perfect since the bag is inflated at each flight of the bobbin.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 7 the bag 24a is composed of a section of a thin-walled impermeable flexible rubber tubing 42 having its ends 44 pressed and cemented together in an air tight manner. The side wall 46 of the bag that is against the inner face of the wall 230. of the shuttle is provided with an opening 48 adjacent each of the air entrance passages 34a and 38a of the shuttle. The passages 48, however, are at one side of the air entrance slots and are approximately sealed by lying against the shuttle wall. Air forced into either entrance slot by the flight of the shuttle presses the wall 48 of the bag away from the inner end of the slot sulficiently to establish communication between the slot and its associated opening 48 so that air can pass into the bag to inflate it regardless of the direction of the flight of the shuttle.

I claim:

1. In a shuttle, a strip of flexible material disposed in position to bear upon the exterior of the filling in the shuttle, and pneumatic means operated by the flight of the shuttle to press said strip against the filling.

2. In a shuttle, an air bag having a side wall composed of flexible material disposed within the shuttle in position to bear upon the exterior of the filling, and means operated by the flight of the shuttle for inflating said bag.

3. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible rubber wall disposed in position to bear upon the exterior of the filling in the shuttle in response to the pressure of air within the bag, and means to inflate said bag.

4. In a shuttle, a flexible sheet disposed in position to bear upon the exterior of the filling in the shuttle, and means for applying air under pressure against the face of the sheet opposite the filling to force the sheet against the filling.

5. In a shuttle, a flexible sheet disposed in position to bear upon the exterior of the filling in the shuttle, and means operated by the flight of the shuttle for applying air under pressure to the face of the sheet opposite the filling to force the sheet against the filling.

6. In a shuttle, a flexible and elastic sheet disposed in position to bear against the exterior of the filling in the shuttle, and means to apply air under pressure to the face of said sheet 0pposite the filling to force the sheet against the filling.

'7. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible side wall disposed in position to bear against the exterior of the filling in the shuttle by the pressure of the air within the bag, and means for inflating the bag with air on both of the oppositely directed flights of the shuttle.

8. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible wall arranged to be pressed into engagement with the exterior of the filling in the shuttle by the pressure of air within the bag, and means providing an air passage opening into said bag from the exterior of the shuttle and directed toward an end of the shuttle.

9. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible wall arranged to be pressed into engagement with the exterior of the filling in the shuttle by the pressure of air within the bag, and means providing a pair of air passages opening into the bag and directed towards opposite ends of the shuttle and opening exteriorly thereof.

10. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible wall arranged to be pressed into engagement with the exterior of the filling in the shuttle by the pressure of air within the bag, means providing an air passage opening into the bag, and a valve member controlling the direction for flow of air through said passage.

11. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible wall arranged to be pressed into engagement with the filling in the shuttle by the pressure of air within the bag, means providing an air passage opening into the bag, a valve member controlling the direction for flow of air through said passage, said air passage being extended forwardly toward an end of the shuttle, and said valve member operative to permit air to pass along said passage into said bag but not vin the reverse direction.

12. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible wall arranged to be pressed into engagement with the filling in the shuttle by the pressure of air within the bag, means providing a pair of air ducts extended through the shuttle and opening into the bag and directed towards opposite ends of the shuttle, and valve means operative to open to admit air through said passages into said bag and to close to prevent the escape of air from said bag into said passages.

13. A shuttle having a filling chamber and air passages extended through a wall of the shuttle and inclined in opposite directions towards opposite ends of the shuttle, and an air bag in said filling chamber in communication with said passages, said bag having parts constituting valve members operative to close communication between said bag and their respective passages when the air pressure within the bag is greater than the air pressure in a passage.

14. A shuttle having a filling chamber, a 1ongitudinally extended groove in an outer side face of the shuttle extended forwardly toward the end of the shuttle, an air passage through the side Wall of the shuttle opening into said groove and inclined toward the other end of the shuttle, and pneumatic means in communication with said passage and operative in response to air received through said passage to bear upon the filling in the filling chamber.

15. A shuttle having a filling chamber, a longitudinally extended groove in an outer side face of the shuttle extended forwardly toward the end of the shuttle, an air passage through the side wall of the shuttle opening into said groove and inclined toward the other end of the shuttle, and an air bag in said chamber in communication with said air passage and having a flexible wall pressed into engagement with the filling in said filling chamber by the pressure of air in said bag. 7

16. In a shuttle, an air bag having a flexible wall adapted to be pressed against the filling of the shuttle by the pressure of air within the bag, and means for scooping air into the bag by movements of the shuttle in both of its opposite directions of movement.

17. A shuttle having opposite side walls bounding a filling chamber, one of said side walls having a feeler opening, an air bag secured to the inner face of the other side Wall, said bag having a flexible wall adapted tobe pressed into engagement with the filling by the pressure of air within the bag, and means for inflating said bag including air passages formed in said bag supporting side wall and opening at their inner ends into said bag and at their outer ends to the .outer face of the side wall and. inclined respectively toward opposite ends of the shuttle, and valve means preventing flow of air from said bag through said passages.

ROBERT H. BO-ARDMAN. 

